Fragments D'un Discourse Amoureux
by Roland Barthes
An Example of Post-Structuralism

Allison Lin 10 Dec. 1998

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A Lover's Discourse is constructed by 'a lover', a solitary subject and the language (discourse). The speaking subject, the I who addresses his imagination in the language to the imaginary beloved, an absent one. Also, this lover is a role who exists only in the fragmented discourse -- he is constructed in the outburst language, which discloses not a love story (with development of plots), love theory or philosophy. On the contrary, this discourse is a sort of "verbal hallucination" (6) which indicates various figures such as Waiting, Jealousy, Mad and so on -- they are not organized, arranged and be classified by certain rules or with a view of an end. These figures will recall our memories of and give us "the delight of understanding" (9) when our "amorous feeling" (4) and imagination are aroused and moved by those figures. Then, the text becomes writable because each figures are memories of books, encounters of the lover which are never fully completed -- they are always dynamic for the readers to attach their fantasy and imagination.